That, plus solid touch controls and Bluetooth connectivity, make it an awesome multipurpose headset.
As a pure gaming headset, though, it’s just average.
The Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset (AW920H) may be the strangest gaming headset I’ve used yet.
For better or worse, this is a distinctive design. I like it, but it’s not my favorite.
It’s not perfect, of course, but Alienware has designed a pretty good headset here.
Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review unit provided by Dell.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
This is a modest price cut from its original retail price of $199.99.
The Alienware AW920H should have widespread availability, thanks to the size of Dell and Alienware’s distribution networks.
Active noise cancellation and a great media consumption experience make the AW920H very compelling as a multipurpose wireless headset.
It’s unique, and potential buyers will either love it or hate it.
It’s all very functional and works well, and the headset is very nicely constructed.
The aforementioned AW720H features far more breathable fabric cushions on the earcups and a more ergonomic suspended headband design.
For better or worse, this is a distinctive design. I like it, but it’s not my favorite.
It looks better (in my opinion) but is also far more comfortable.
More importantly, it sounds fun.
You still get a fairly wide, clear soundstage and a great stereo effect, too.
The wrong areas are accentuated, causing you to lose detail and miss important information.
The background noise cancellation also does a great job, ensuring your voice is always at the foreground.
Most players won’t be doing that, though.
That little splash of color is nice to have, especially since you can turn it off in an instant to preserve your battery.
The entire time I had ANC enabled, and I often had the RGB lighting enabled, too.
By the time the headset died, I had used it for around 25 hours of solid listening.
There is one problem, however.
It looks nice, but I would’ve preferred a more breathable, durable fabric to this stuffy faux leather.
This headset is weirdly bad at telling you how much battery life it has left.
“Alright, I thought, that’s pretty decent.”
Well, I know that wasn’t right, because it died a day later.
It’s a genuinely fun-sounding headset, although it can take a bit of work to make it sound good in certain games.
Alienware AW920H: Wireless connectivity
Alienware touts the AW920H as being “Tri-Mode.”
What does this mean?
That’s cool, but there are some caveats and limitations to be aware of.
There’s nothing fancy about this microphone, but it sounds okay and does a good job filtering out background noise.
First, there is no simultaneous source mixing here.
you could connect via 2.4GHz or Bluetooth, never both at the same time.
There’s only one 3.5mm audio port on this headset, which means you have to choose.
Active noise cancellation and RGB lighting are great to have, but it does take a toll on the battery. Even then, it’s still pretty good.
If you wanted to use this headset with your console, that’ll pretty quickly dampen your experience.
Connection-wise, though, the Alienware AW920H is very solid.
So, how does it work?
This tiny USB Type-C dongle offers a very solid wireless connection, but Bluetooth is always an option.
Surprisingly, really well!
Background noise is considerably dampened, with only sporadic, random noises able to temporarily break through the ANC.
I was surprised by the consistent quality of the Alienware AW920H’s ANC and transparency modes.
Touch controls, ANC and transparency modes, and a nice (albeit soft and flimsy) carrying case make this a great headset for travelling.
These lights work with both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, and the headset remembers your tweaks, which is great.
Customization is simple, but so is the lighting.
I’ve mentioned these touch controls a few times, now, so let me quickly go over them.
I prefer the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X for gaming (and it works with Xbox), but I’d choose the Alienware if I could only have one headset for everything.
For me, the touch controls were always responsive and reliable.
With these touch controls, it’s possible for you to do quite a lot.
Launch woes aside, I’m glad these touch controls are here.
The Alienware AW920H looks good on the stand, but it’s not usurping my Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023).
It costs a little more than the AW920H but is in most ways the better PC gaming headset.
Want a similar experience but for less?
You also get Xbox support, and it still supports Bluetooth and limited media controls using the Bluetooth button.
Alienware AW920H: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if …
You should not buy this if …
I really like the Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset (AW920H).
you might get cheaper headsets with similar gaming experiences, or similar-priced headsets with far superior gaming experiences.
If you’re one of the people in that niche, this is one of thebest PC gaming headsetsaround.
The Alienware AW920H won’t be for everyone, and more than just its design is to blame.
This is a solid wireless headset, but it could be more comfortable, have more easily accessed options to tune it, and include a better mic.
